Fluid operated shovel



Jan. 22, 1957 STEELE 2,?78,127

FLUID OPERATED SHOVEL Filed Oct. 4. 1952 3 Sheeis-Sheet 1 AWN/m1 filiozweg.

Jan. 22, 1957 E. B. STEELE 2,778,127

FLUID OPERATED SHOVEL Filed Oct. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 II'I n": a

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Jan. 22, 1957 E. B. STEELE FLUID OPERATED SHOVEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 4. 1952 :3 13% M w Z W W a w r e 4 Z 1% a 2,778,127 FLUID OPERATED SHOVEL Edson B. Steele, deceased, late of Rocky Grove, Pa., by Julia M. Steele, administratrix, Johnsonburg, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 4, 1952, Serial No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 37--103) are adapted to remove material from below a surface upon which a vehicle supporting the shoveling mechanism is adapted to be supported, and to raise it to a hopper or the like on the vehicle, from which hopper the material lS adapted to be discharged to trucks or other conveyances which may move it to a suitable point of disposition.

It is very frequently necessary to form trenches in paved streets in order either to lay pipes, conduits, cables or the like, or to secure access to such conductors which have already been placed in the ground and had paving After it has been fractured to handleable size, it is desirable to shovel it out, and to have the shoveling place of disposition.

It is desirable that the shoveling mechanism shall be simple and rugged, be vehicle-supportable, preferably be powered, hydraulically, and be capable of performing its operations with controls which are as simple as possible.

and advantages of the inthe following description of Fig. l in different operating shoveling mechanism positions.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, with parts broken away, similar to portions of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the planes of the line 66 of Fig- 5. I

Fig. 7 is a bottom view, on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 5, of the structure shown in the latter figure.

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section on the planes of the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively plan and side elevational views, on

separated from the rest of the apparatus;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the hydraulic system in its illustrative form.

Fig. 12 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a control valve box.

Referring now to the drawings, there will be noted at V, a vehicle'of the self-propelled type. It has supmounted, respectively at 7 and.8, on dependingarm struc tures 9'and 10, rigid with the depending frame portions P and so rigid with the body of the vehicle V. Because of the duplication of construction mentioned, it isto be borne in mind that there are two cylinders 5, and two cylinders 6, and it is again to be noted that the mechanisms associated with these cylinder and piston mechanisms are at least mostly constructed as it were in duplicate, though at times the duplicated parts are integrally connected, and are operatively connected to the shovel in such a manner that the latteris supported and has forces transmitted to it at each of the opposite sides of its longitudinal central vertical plane.

A shovel, scoop or bucket is shown at 11. At its rear, it is provided with parallel, upright, rearwardly extending plate portions 11'. An ar-mlike frame 12 comprises parallel side arm portions 13, 13 connected at their lowerends by a hollow cross brace 14 and nearer their other ends by a second hollow cross brace 14'. The lower ends of the armportions 13, 13 and he crossbrace 14 lie between the plate portions 11', and api ot' element 15 extends through the hollow cross brace 14. and: the rearwardl'y extending plate portions 11 near the bottom of the shovel, andsupports the latter on the frame 12. The other, opposite, ends of the arm portions 13, 13 are pivotally connected to the depending frame portions. P as by a pivot shaft 16, which extends also through a tubular brace 17 connecting the depending frame portions P and which, furthermore, outside of strengthening and bearing-providing bosses 13', 13"formed at the ends of the arm portions 13, 13, provides pivotal supports for rocker members or rockers 18, 18.

The piston and cylinder mechanisms 5, 5 have piston.

rods 19, 19, and these are pivotally connected to the rockers 18, 18, at one end of the latter, at 20. The other ends of the rockers are pivotally connected at 22 to links 23, 23. The links 23, 23- are pivotally connected at 24, at their other ends from the pivotal connections 22, to polygonal members 25, herein shown as triangular plates, adjacent one corner of such plates. Each of these plates is pivotally connected at another corner thereof to a projection 27 on the arm portion 13, by means of a pivot shaft. 26 extending through the hollow cross brace 14' which extends between and connects projections 27 on said arm portions 13. Shaft 26 may desirably have the members secured to it. The third corner of each plate 25 has pivotally connected to it at 28 a link 29, which is pivotally connected tothe shovel 11, at a pivot point 30 above, in the lowered position of the shovel, the. pivot element 15. The pivot points. 30 are located at the mutually outer sides of the upright plate portions 11'. Each cylinder and piston mechanism 6 has a piston rod 31. Each piston rod 31 has a pair of pitman-like links 32 pivotally connected to it by pivot elements 33. The other ends of these pitman-like links are connected with a tubular body 34 which extends between further projections 35 formed on the arm portions 13, 13, and a pivot element 36 traverses the projections 35 and the tubular body 34. Links 3'7, connected at their upper ends by. a hollow bar 38 which is pivoted at 39 on the frame portions P, are connected at their other ends, at 40, to the pivot elements 33.

The hydraulic control system for the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5 and 6 is illustrated in Fig. 11. It will be noted that fluid flow with respect to the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 is effected simultaneously with respect to each of them. This is also true of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 6, 6. The cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and 6, 6' are all double-acting. A pump 0, desirably actuated bypower from the power plant of the vehicle, takes fluid through a conduit 41 from a sump or tank T and discharges it to a pump discharge line 42 which leads to a valve box structure, generally designated 43. This valve box structure has. a supply box 44 to which thepnmp discharge line; 42 leads. A relief valve ox 44, and fluid is re- 45' is associated with, the supply b leased; when pump discharge pressure. gets higher thanv the setting of the relief valve 45, and is adapted to be returned through a connection 46 to the sump. The connection 46 communicates with a discharge box 47 in a well-known manner. Between supply box 44 and discharge box 47 are control valve boxes 48 and 49. The control valve box 48 controls the supply and venting of fluid to the opposite ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5. The control valve box 49 controls the supply and venting of fluid to the opposite ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 6, 6. The control valve boxes 48 and d9 are standard commercial products, as are also the supply box 44, the relief valve and the discharge box 47. Their structure therefore really needs no illustration, and though some details will later be given, it will suflice for now to say that the control valve boxes 48 and 49 contain valves 59 and 51 indicated conventionally in dotted lines, and respectively operated by operating handles 52 and 53, and that in the central position of the valves 50, 51 fluid flows freely from the conduit 42 to the conduit 46, while the conduits connecting the valve boxes respectively with the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and 6, 6 have their communication with the conduits 42 and 46 both interrupted. In other words, fluid is trapped in the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and 6, 6 in the centered positions of their respective control valves and 51. When the control valve 50 is in one end position, it may supply fluid to one end of both of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and vent the other ends thereof. In itsv opposite. position, it supplies fluid to the second ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and vents the first ends. In one end position of the valve 51, it supplies fluid to the, corresponding ends of both cylinder and piston mechanisms 6,, 6, while venting the opposite ends. In its other end positiomit supplies fluid to the last mentioned ends of both of these cylinder and piston mechanismsand vents the first mentioned ends thereof. Valve 51 cannot interruphby displacement to one of its end positions, the availability of fluid to the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5, and the pump 40 has adequate capacity for the supply of fluid to the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 and: 6, 6 simultaneously. One point in the valve box 48 is connected by a conduit 55 with a cross connection 56 leading to the rod ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5. A cross connection 57 between the head ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, 5 is connected by a conduit 58 with a spaced point in the valve box 48. A conduit 59, leads from one point in the valve box 49 to a cross, connection 60 between the rod ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 6, 6. A cross connection 61 between the head ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 6, 6 is connected by a conduit 62 to another point in the valve box 49.

In Fig. 12, there is shown a central section through the valve box 48. It will be observed that a bore is provided by this valve box. In it multi-spool valve 50 is reciprocable. This, bore has communicating with it at its center an annular groove 72, which is connected with return conduit. 46.. At opposite sides. of the groove 72, there are, grooves 73, and 74. These are connected respectively with the conduits 55 and 58. Outside the grooves 73 and 74, there are supply grooves 75 and 76. One further groove 77 is shown, and this is connected also to the line 46. It will be noted that, in the central position of'the valve 50, fluid flows from the groove 76 to the groove 77 and thereby the pump 0 is freed of any back pressure when there is no cylinder and piston mechanism connected with the discharge line 42. The grooves 75. and'76' are connected together by a conduit 78. The valve 50' has peripheral grooves 79, 80 and 81, groove 80 between the other two. Groove 80 selectively connects grooves 73 and 74 with groove 72. Groove 79 selectively connects groove 76 with, groove 74 or groove 77. Groove 81 connects groove 75 with groove 73 when groove 74 is connected with groove 72 by groove 80. A precisely similar arrangement is present in the case: of

venting of the conduit 55, and push on the handle 53 to the return connection 46.

There remains to be supplied only a brief description of the mode of operation of the foregoing apparatus.

in Figs. 1 and 5, the shovel is shown piston mechanisms 6 are shown in nearly fully retracted position. A slight further retraction would result in a slight additional lowering of the shovel.

After the shovel has taken as much of the material as it will conveniently hold, fluid is admitted to the rod ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms to cause the piston rods 19 to be pulled downwardly. This causes swinging of the rockers stationary pivots 16, which in turn causes the links 23 to rock the members 25 about the axis of the pivot shaft 26, with the result that traction is applied to the links 29 and the shovel 11 is brought to the position of Fig. 2. That is, it is raised at its digging end so that there is less prospect of material falling from it.

The next nism.

the members 25, and the links 29 regulate the angle of the bucket to the swinging frame 12 so that the bucket is maintained in load-carrying position as it is moving clockwise bodily with the arms 13, but turned counterclockwise with respect to the frame 12.

When the parts reach the position of Fig. 3, fluid is supplied to the head ends of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 5, and this eifects a rotation of the shovel 11 from the position of Fig. 3 to the dumping position shown in Fig. 4, during this operation the shovel 11 being swung sharply clockwise relative to the frame 12 about the pivotal connection 15.

To lower the bucket, fluid may be supplied simultaneously to the cyhnder and pivot element and thus providing an additional control of the depth of digging.

It will be evident that the apparatus described is simple and rugged, provides all necessary controls of the shovel, and is well adapted to the problems it was designed to meet.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice,

What is claimed is: 1. A frame arc intersecting a plane through the longitudinal axis of said last cylinder and piston mechanism.

2. A frame providing a horizontal transverse axis, a shovel, an arm structure pivotally connected at one end 3. A frame providing a horizontal transverse axis, a shovel, an arm structure pivotally connected at one end at said horizontal axis to said frame and at its other end 7 pivotally connected to said shovel, a member pivotally connected at one point thereon to said arm structure betweenv the ends ofi the latter, a link c point on said member with said shovel at 21 point nearer the top of the latter than the connection of said arm structure with said shovel, a rocker having oppositely extending arms and rockable about said horizontal axis, a link pivotally connected at one end to said member at a third point on the latter and at its other end to one of the-arms of said rocker, a first cylinder and piston mechanism pivotally connected to said frame at a point on the latter on the other side of said horizontal axis from the pivotal connection of said arm structure to said shovel and to the other arm of said rocker, a link connected with said arm structure at a point on the latter nearer the pivotal connection of the latter with the frame than is the pivotal connection of said member with said arm structure, a second cylinder and piston mechanism pivotally connected at one end to said frame at a point on the latter on the same side of said horizontal axis as the connection of said first cylinder and piston mechanism to said onnecting a spacedframe, and at its other end pivotally connected to said link last mentioned, means for controlling supply and venting of fluid withrespect to sad two cylinder and piston mechanisms, and means including a further link pivotally mounted at one end to said frame and at its other end to said arm connected link and to said second cylinder and piston mechanism at the pivotal connection of the latter to control the swinging movement of said arm structure between a generally vertical depending and generally vertical upstanding position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

